Livingstone 4

All of my translations are RESERVED


Livingstone, Chapter 4 (Weekly Morning, No. 39, 2009)


<1>
[right text]The soul is parting from the flesh. She has abandoned her life—

=The soul...! This person really was trying to die...!!
=H-Hold on a sec!


<2>
THUD
[ghost logo]90% of this world is inevitable.
Chapter 4: Flowchart
Author: 前川知大
Artist: 片岡人生
[bottom box black part]The story:
[bottom box text]90% of a person's destiny is determined by the soul. Souls that fulfill their destiny in this world are passed on to the next, where they continue their development. However, some souls die unexpectedly, and fall to pieces—unable to fulfill their destinies. Sakurai and Amano have the job of managing the souls, and preventing this from occurring. Whenever a soul is in danger of being destroyed, they will appear.


<3>
=Hey!//What was that for, Sakurai!?
=How come you're sabotaging me!?

I was so sure it was just a fleeting decision...
Is a soul this important really going to destroy itself...!?

[x2]HUFF
RATTLE
=...?//What just happened...?

=...You almost died because your soul was going to leave your body.
=What!?//Really!?


<4>
=Why!?//Why did your soul give permission!? You have 41 more years of life ahead of you!
=You don't need to die!//Don't just throw away your life like this!

=Now you're trying to persuade me...?//You two are the ones who offered to kill me.

=Keep living!

=Huh?//You should die.

AHHH—
=Which one!?


<5>
=What's the big idea all of a sudden?
=Wrong tactic, alright!//Take a look at this data.

=If her soul continues to develop according to plan,//She's gonna change history. Look.
=Whoa, what the heck? Is that for real?

=Maybe I should get an autograph or something...

=But hey,//Her soul gave us permission.
=According to the rules, we're allowed to process her, right?
=...Yeah, but...//I didn't think she would actually give up...

=...Is her situation really that bad...?
=...Guess I'll look into why she's trying to commit suicide...
[x2]CLACK


<6>
[x2]CLACK

=Megumi Kanzaki, age 28.//Accountant for a nonprofit organization called the Roei Foundation.
=Current address...//Oh, I see. So the building across the street is company housing.

=Wha... How'd you get my name...!?//Are you the police!?

=No...

=Just suicide watchers who happened to pass by.


<7>
=Well...//You guys are sketchy,
=But it seems like you really do have supernatural powers of some sort.../How much do you know about me?

=Thank you for believing us.//Makes the job easier.

=This is a website called the "Central Library," which can only be accessed by us. It's an archive of personal histories.//What your choices were,//And what you chose.
=Life is an accumulation of choices, after all.


<8>
=Choices?

=Yes.//Of life.
[x2]CLACK

=Like today... At 8:22am.//Quite early for a Sunday.
[AM 7:55]Wake up
[choice 1]Eat fast food for breakfast//Find something from the fridge
[choice 2]Turn on the TV
[choice 3]Go to sleep again
[choice 4]Can't get back to sleep: Wake up
[choice 5]Make coffee

=You were debating whether to go to the nearby fast food store for breakfast, or use the leftovers from the refrigerator.
[screen]Eat fast food for breakfast//Find something from the fridge

=Wow... It's kind of like a video game.

=Exactly.//There's been a lot of debate in the past about the relationship between video games and real life, and the effect it can have on the brain...


<9>
=But they're actually very similar, as long as you don't consider what's at stake.//Life also comes in stages, and there's important items that you need to find.
=Choices are made. Levels are completed...

=Ohh...//I get it.

Amano doesn't have a soul, so he has no motivation to complete life.
Maybe that's why he gave up on the video game...

=Huh?//You received a phone call from Mr. Ichiro Sakuma at 10:04am...
[AM 10:04]Phone call from Ichiro Sakuma
[box to right]Answer
[below that]Don't answer

=You must've had a hard time making up your mind.//There's a lot of choices listed here.


<10>
[x2]BB—T
[phone]Incoming call//Sakuma

[box title]Kanzaki's Choice
[box content]Meet first, think after

=That's a bit haphazard...


<11>
=—So far,
=I'm the only one who knows about this.

=Shit... Uhh... Guess I should just...

SOB...


<12>
[box title]Kanzaki's Choice
[box content]Try crying
=*sob*//*sob...*
=Oh... Umm... Ms. Kanzaki?
=*sob*

=Whoa, fake crying. That's horrible.
=Leave me alone!

=Oh... This may not be the best place to talk about this. Why don't we go to your house, Ms. Kanzaki.
SOB
=It's close by, isn't it?

=Umm... I should clean up a bit.//I'll be right back.
[bubble]CREAK


<13>
GRACK..

=Please.

=Take your time.

=...?//What does that mean?
=There hasn't been anything decisive so far.


<14>
=Guess we should just keep going.
[bubble]CLICK

=Phew.

=I'm surprised you live in such a cute room.

=...Thank you.
=Damn, this guy is obnoxious.
=...What should I do?

=...Would you like some tea?//I have some beer, too.
=Oh, then I'll have a beer.


<15>
=—But this was quite a surprise.
WHAP
=Over a period of 4 years.//From the union fees and the rental costs for related facilities...

=A grand total of 82 million yen embezzled.
=Really, very impressive.

[PM 1:56]Ichiro Sakuma produces evidence that you have embezzled 82 million yen

=...Very impressive.


<16>
=Thank you.
=It's not a compliment!

=...But still,//That's nothing to die over, is it?
=You could pay it back little by little, and...

=Hah.//I wouldn't have done it in the first place if I had that kind of patience.

=Right...
I... Don't think I can get along with this person...
She's got such an important soul though...

=...Besides,//That wasn't all.


<17>
=—Does it say what happened after that?

=...Wonder if it's gonna work.
ZZT...


<18>
GLUB
[title]Kanzaki's Choice
[content]Spike the beer with sleeping pills

=Phew.//Quite refreshing, this early in the day.
CLACK

=It's not like we have to bring in the company or the police right now.
=I mean...

=You know... You're kinda my type, Ms. Kanzaki.
GREAK
=It was kind of a shock...


<19>
=Do you still have the money?//...We could run away together.

=Just an idea.

=Oh man...//Well, guess I don't have a choice.

WOBBLE
=Huh?

=Am I drunk?//...Shit.
=Oops.

=Dumbass...
[x2]PLICK
=Oh, sorry.
=Wonder if he's willing to take the blame with me if I do him.


<20>
[x2]DRIP
=HUFF//HAH

=Heh-heh...
[x2]HUFF

=Huff...//Hah
WHUP
=Heh


<21>
=I-I'm//Really

=Not gonna tell anyone//Or anything
[x2]CLICK
=So


<22>
ZZT

=Sorry, no way.

=Gimme a break... Run away? With you?//Can't do it. Look...

=Hey.


<22>
[title]Kanzaki's Choices
[top left]Call an ambulance
[bottom left]Finish him off
[top right]Take a shower
[bottom right]Have a smoke

CLICK
[box]Have a smoke

=Wha...!?


<23>
=Wha!?
=What were you thinking!?

=See?
=Too much trouble, right?

=So that was... 2 hours ago, huh.
=...Maybe he's still—

=No way.//He wasn't breathing when I left.

=Yeah, there's nothing you can do when you're stuck.//That's life.


<24>
=Yep. You gotta know when to quit.

PIP
=Hey.

=You're a minor.
Dang
=...How do they give up so easily...!?

=Ms. Kanzaki, your "plan..."//Your powerful, significant soul... Doesn't want to die.
=There's probably something that you still need to accomplish in this lifetime.


<25>
=You're overestimating me.//This isn't my first time embezzling, and I've got tons of loans and stuff I have to pay back.
=And now I've killed someone.//What else do you expect me to do?

=It's just too much trouble.

...What is wrong with this person!?
She's bothered so many people, and she still has the audacity to talk like this...!?


<26>
=Look, Sakurai.//I get that this person's soul is rare and everything,
=But we're supposed to prioritize the next world over this one, right?

=Well yeah...

=Then why not? It's too much trouble.
=Let's hurry up and kill her.

You too, Amano. You're always such a...
=...But a forced retirement slows the development of the soul...//I want to save her.


<27>
—There's gotta be something I can do.
[x2]CLACK
[right side from top]Really go//News channel//Game show//Drama channel
[left side from top]Stay in the room//Watch TV

[upper box]Ichiro Sakuma's//Ashtray on the table//Stops breathing//Confirmed
[lower box title]Kanzaki's Choice
[lower box]Building

=...Hey.

=This database only lists pure "facts," right?
=It doesn't say anywhere that he's "dead."


<28>
=Ms. Kanzaki! Where's the key to your room!?
GATHUCK
=? Huh? I have it, but...

=Come with me!//Let's hurry, Amano!
=Yeah yeah.

=Huh?//What?
=What do you mean?

[x3]CLONK
=You hit Ichiro Sakuma on the back of the head with an ashtray...


<29>
=—But there was no mention of his "death."

[x2]JERK

=He's still alive...!

[right text]A new choice, in the nick of time!

Chapter 4 / End
To be continued in the next issue